Opinion poll
Expensive food – consumers buy differently
The prices for food have increased significantly in recent years. Many consumers have therefore changed their shopping behavior.
According to a survey by the German Press Agency, many consumers cause the increased food prices to rethink their shopping behavior. More than half (57 percent) of the respondents stated that they had changed their shopping habits as a result of the high prices. According to their own information, this in turn is now more often in the discounter instead of shopping in the supermarket.
The Youngov Institute carried out the survey between September 3 and 5 on behalf of the German Press Agency. A total of 2,009 people were interviewed. According to YouGov, the results are representative of the resident population in Germany aged 18 and over.
71 percent of those who shop differently pay more attention to special offers and discounts than before. Overall, a good third buys less frequently or less. However, only a few want to do without freshness. Almost 56 percent of those who have changed their buying behavior stated that they would buy as many fresh products as before. In five percent, these were now even more often in the shopping cart than before.
A particularly striking result: to save money, 84 percent of consumers who have changed pay more attention to throwing out fewer foods than before. For example, they tried to buy more consciously and use remnants creatively. In addition, around half of them eat foods that have expired more often if they still look good.
Of those who have not changed their shopping behavior, more than 40 percent stated that they had previously spent as little money as possible for food and no longer see a savings potential. According to their own statements, more than a third has enough money to also afford more expensive foods. Every tenth of them does not want to have noticed the price increases.
Prices rose significantly
However, the statistics are clear. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the rate of inflation in food was only 1.4 percent last year. However, it rose again in the course of the current year and was around 2.2 percent in July. With individual products, however, the increase is significantly higher. Chocolate, for example, was almost 19 percent more expensive in July, fruit by 7.6 percent. For milk and eggs, the increase was also significantly out with 4.1 percent.
In the years 2022 and 2023 in particular, food prices overall rose sharply as a result of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, by 13.4 and 12.4 percent.
dpa
Source: Stern
